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Combining Intelligence and Action with Phil Reilly
Manage episode 434671065 series 3593612
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Sandy and Sandra’s guest this episode is Phil Reilly, a former CIA paramilitary officer who was the first American on the ground in Afghanistan in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Phil starts by explaining a little about the history and organization of the CIA and how the paramilitary fits into it. He also talks about the tough vetting process to get into the CIA and how recruits are analyzed to determine which area they’ll be placed in. Phil then shares his own journey to the CIA, including his time on a HALO team as a Green Beret, his choice between the Navy or the Agency, and his paramilitary and operational training. He also shares some details of his experiences in Central America in the 80s and with operating under an alias persona, something that would likely not be possible in our age of ubiquitous technical surveillance and global connectivity.
Next, Sandy asks Phil to discuss his experience on the ground in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. Phil explains that he was chosen to be on the Jawbreaker team that was picked just two or three days after the attacks and discusses the team’s mission to prepare the way for US military boots on the ground. He also talks about some of the risks and concerns they had to deal with and his personal feelings on responding to a direct attack on US soil. Then he discusses how the environment changed after he returned as the Chief of Station of Kabul, especially in relation to the Afghan people and their relationship with the US troops, before addressing his feelings on how the US military’s presence in Afghanistan ended. And finally, Phil points out some of the benefits of a career in the CIA, including having a real mission and getting to see the world.
The Finer Details of this Episode:
- The paramilitary’s role in the CIA
- Military experience and CIA training
- Phil’s experiences in Central America
- The post-9/11 mission in Afghanistan
- The benefits of a career in the CIA
Quotes:
“If you go down to a JSOC unit, a special mission unit of the United States Government today and put a hundred guys in a room and say, ‘Who here’s been in CIA?’ you may not get a hand raised. But if you go to ground branch, and you ask how many people served in the US military, a hundred percent of the hands will be raised.”
“You’re going to also get the operational training as a case officer, as a collector of intelligence, of being able to go out and spot assess, develop, and recruit foreign sources for CIA, so you are dual-hatted. Paramilitary may be your primary focus, but you also have the case officer skills, so that is all trained, and you’re provided that training at the farm.”
“The mission was straightforward. Get to the Northern Alliance, bring them to our side, and prepare the way for the introduction of US military boots on the ground, as well as collect intelligence on Al-Qaeda, the perpetrators of the events of 9/11.”
“I tell people, young people, that you’re never going to be a millionaire working for the United States Government, regardless of what branch you go to. But if you want to see the world, you want to have a real mission, be able to go do a lot of different things, then join CIA.”
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